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Biblical Examples of Spiritual Intelligence
This section originally appeared within the "Spiritual Intelligence" section of Part II of the Manifesto, entitled The Prophetic Dimension. This section, and where it appears within Spiritual Intelligence, is indicated below, followed by the text of the section * Normal Intelligence * Paranormal Intelligence * Biblical Examples of Spiritual Intelligence * Prophetic History in CAWKI * God's GPS * Amos 3:7 Principle * Ways not Works * Disciples that God seeks "Preach to the tree!" * Industrial Revolutions compared * The Inspiration Age (the 4th Industrial Revolution) * Prophetic Pictures * Benjamins * Prophetic Warnings * When the Stones cry out ---- The Judean king Amaziah is a classical. He was the son of Joash, who at an early age decided to restore the temple of God in Jerusalem, “rebuilding the temple of God according to its original design,” a reformation project obviously surrounded by “many prophecies” (2. Chr. 24:27), and, by the way, a huge fundraising success. As long as he listened to the prophets, Joash did well. Once his top spiritual aide, Jehoiada, died, Joash fell into that age-old political trap and listened to the praise of his people. In pleasing people he stopped being interested in pleasing God. He wanted so badly to be seen in complete charge that he even rejected the prophets and had one, Zechariah, stoned, right in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple that Joash himself had rebuilt. His approach was: temple yes, prophets no. God yes, words from God, no. Joash ultimately died like a fool, murdered in bed by his own staff. His son Amaziah came to replace him at age 25. Amaziah had witnessed all this. He knew exactly about the prophetic dimension, however he decided to ignore it. Once, when a prophet came up to him and communicated God’s word for him, he stopped the prophet in mid-speech and said: “Have we appointed you an advisor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” Obviously, his political position had become an idol to him, and he thought he had the right to appoint a prophet, like a pet. To act like this in the manifest presence of God, with fresh memories of his prophetic words and deeds, is the ultimate foolishness. A political leader not placing himself under the ultimate authority of God is foolish. You don’t even want to know how Amaziah died. Maybe this is where the word “amazing” comes from: describing a selfish king rejecting God who was within his very reach. In other words: if you are in a position of power, God usually will have someone prophetic come to you and speak into your life. If you accept it and act on it, God will send prophetic words again and again. If not, God waits and sees and does not push it on you anymore. From then on, it is up to you to ask for prophetic counsel and make specific room (and time!) for it. However, if there is the real thing out there, you can bet that counterfeits do exist. Outside healthy and legitimate prophets of God, there is a never ending stream of self-styled doomsday forecasters, DIY (do-it-yourself) “prophets” and pathetic quacksalvers that bombard and pester anyone with influence almost on a daily basis with “words” and Bible verses or any amount of esoteric nonsense. It is like a test. If someone in a position of power (King, CEO, President, director, etc.) truly wants God’s council, he can and will have it; but it requires courage and deliberate dedication for a King or ruler of any kind to ask the one and only living God on a permanent basis for spiritual intelligence briefs.